The Lion was the witch's slave, but he was not cooperating.
"If I cannot ride you like a horse," called the Witch, "then I will starve you. Serve me or die—it is your choice."
The Lion roared loudly and leaped toward the Witch.
"Maybe you'll change your mind," she said. "I will come back tomorrow."
"Come into this yard, and I will bite you," said the Lion to the Witch.
The Lion wasn't worried about starving because he knew Dorothy would bring him food.
Dorothy was the witch's slave too.
And every night she sneaked out of her room and into the kitchen to steal food.
She took the food to the Lion, and the two of them talked about their troubles.
The Witch was unhappy.
The Lion refused to serve her, and Dorothy still wore the silver shoes.
"I must get those silver shoes," said the Witch to herself.
Dorothy never took the silver shoes off except when she took a bath.
Luckily, the Wicked Witch was too afraid of the water to go into the bathroom.
The Witch spent most of her time thinking of a way to steal the silver shoes.
Finally she had a plan. She took an iron bar and made it invisible.
Then she placed it in the middle of the kitchen, and she waited for Dorothy, who was busy working, to walk by.
Dorothy had many things to clean, and she was carrying two big buckets of water.
She couldn't see the invisible bar so she stumbled over it.
She didn't fall, but one of her silver shoes came off.
The Witch grabbed it and put it on.
"Give me back my shoe!" shouted Dorothy.
"I will not," replied the Witch. "It is my shoe now and not yours."
Toto ran over and bit the Witch as hard as he could, but the Witch did not bleed.
She was so wicked that her blood had dried up long ago.
The Witch hit Toto hard with her broom. This made Dorothy angry.
"Evil Witch!" she screamed.
In her anger Dorothy picked up a bucket of water and threw it at the Witch.
The water soaked the Witch from head to foot.
"No!" screamed the Witch.
"Not water! Look what you have done! I am melting!"
Dorothy could hardly believe her eyes.
The Wicked Witch was melting, just as sugar melts in water.
Dorothy was still afraid though.
She took the other bucket of water and poured it on the bubbling heap.
"My shoe," said Dorothy. She picked it up, dried it off, and put it back on.
In the distance Dorothy could hear Toto barking.
"Why is Toto barking?" asked the Lion.
"He is happy," answered Dorothy, "because the Witch is dead."
"Dead?" asked the Lion.
"Yes, she melted when I threw the water at her," answered Dorothy.
"I washed her wickedness away."
The Lion was pleased, and he was happy to be free.
Toto's barking brought the Winkies into the castle.
"You are free!" shouted the Lion. "Just like me!"
The Winkies immediately began to sing and dance for they had been slaves for many years.
"I wish our friends were here to see this," said Dorothy sadly.
"Let's try to save them," said the Lion.
"Do you think we can?" asked Dorothy.
"I didn't think we could kill the Wicked Witch," said the Lion.
"But you did, so now I think anything is possible."
"We will help you," said the oldest-looking Winkie.
It took several days of searching.
They found the Tin Man, but they found only the Scarecrow's straw.
They brought what they found back to the Witch's tower.
They repaired the Tin Man, and soon he was as good as new.
"Thank you," he said. "But where is the Scarecrow?"
"We could only find his straw," said Dorothy sadly. "His clothes are gone."
"Oh yes, I remember," said the Tin Man.
"The Winged Monkeys put the Scarecrow's clothes in a tree.
Let us go there, and I will chop it down."
At last everyone was reunited, and they made plans to return to Oz immediately.
"I will get a heart," said the Tin Man.
"I will get a brain," said the Scarecrow.
"I will get some courage," said the Lion.
"And I will go home!" said Dorothy happily.